Here's a look at some of the top rumors for Monday, Oct. 26:
After he never seemed to have a legitimate shot at playing Sunday against the New York Giants, Dallas Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant will surely push to return from a broken foot this week at home against the Seattle Seahawks. But what are the chances that Bryant plays? Bryant told Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News, "I don't honestly think that '[my foot] has to be all the way 100 percent for me to get back on the field." Meanwhile, owner Jerry Jones told Machota, "Really, by all measures, he has a really good chance to play [next] week." We'd take this with a grain of salt, especially because Bryant and Jones have been enthusiastically pushing the wideout's return while head coach Jason Garrett has taken a more conservative (and realistic) approach. FOX Sports' Mike Garafolo reported Sunday that Bryant is "50-50" to return against Seattle and that the Cowboys "believe he'll be back" in Week 9 when they host the Philadelphia Eagles. Matt Cassel's three interceptions belied how effective the Cowboys' offense actually was on Sunday, as Dallas averaged 6.7 yards per play and 5.7 yards per rush. Having Bryant back against a stingy Seattle defense would certainly help, but Dallas won't be doomed without him if they can continue to run effectively and Cassel can limit the turnovers.
The Cowboys' running game blossomed on Sunday with Darren McFadden (29 carries, 152 yards, 1 TD) leading the way, and it sounds like McFadden may be relied on more moving forward. NFL Media's Rand Getlin reports that Joseph Randle suffered an oblique injury "similar to the one he suffered during the preseason," which had the back in and out of practice. Getlin adds that the "early expectation" is for Randle to miss some time with what is "a painful injury." In case McFadden's performance on Sunday didn't make it clear enough, McFadden is the back to have in fantasy lineups moving forward, while Randle should be benched and Christine Michael dropped.
Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel relieved the injured Josh McCown on Sunday, but it sounds like McCown may not miss any time with his shoulder injury. NFL Media's Ian Rapoport hears that McCown will have an MRI on Monday but is "just a little 'banged up'" and may miss some practice time. Manziel was a tidy 4-of-5 for 27 yards in garbage time against the St. Louis Rams, while McCown actually played quite well, finishing 27-of-32 for 270 yards and a 101.8 rating. As much buzz as the Browns' quarterback position can create, the problems on offense are elsewhere at the moment, as Cleveland averaged 3.4 yards per carry while scoring just six points on Sunday.
The Tennessee Titans mustered just seven points on Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons with Zach Mettenberger at the helm, but it sounds like they won't have to rely on Mettenberger for long. Rapoport reported Sunday morning that Marcus Mariota -- who sprained his MCL in Week 6 -- is expected back when the Titans visit the Houston Texans this week. Mettenberger didn't do much on Sunday, throwing two interceptions and struggling to keep drives moving. The offense with Mariota cooled in Weeks 5 and 6, producing 23 total points after averaging nearly 30 per game in Weeks 1-3, but he's certainly a more dynamic talent than Mettenberger, and more time on the field can only hasten his development.
Things looked ugly when Eagles left tackle Jason Peters was carted off the field on Sunday night against the Carolina Panthers, but it seems Philly's O-line anchor may be just fine. Peters told Reuben Frank of CSNPhilly.com that he's "good" and plans to play against the Cowboys in Week 9 after the Eagles' Week 8 bye. While Peters looked to be seriously hurt on the field, it turns out he simply suffered from back spasms. The injury will certainly be bothersome, and it's possible Peters could aggravate it by playing before fully healed, but it's far from a season-ending ailment. That's extremely good news for an Eagles O-line that has struggled enough this season already and was just starting to build some continuity.
Perhaps a more worrisome ailment for the Eagles is a "hand ligament injury" that Les Bowen of Philly.com reports wide receiver Jordan Matthews suffered three weeks ago. Matthews denied that his hand is injured, but the wideout has struggled mightily with dropped passes lately. Pro Football Focus has credited Matthews with six drops this season -- including two on Sunday night -- after logging just five drops by Matthews for all of 2014. Dropped passes played a direct role in Sunday night's loss to the Panthers and continue to crop up at the worst times for the Eagles.
The New York Jets appear to have gotten some positive news about center Nick Mangold's health after the 10-year veteran went down with a neck injury on Sunday. Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News reports that X-rays on Mangold's neck came back negative, and the center will undergo further testing Monday. There is still no indication how long Mangold might be kept out, but the injury doesn't sound like it's season-ending. Getting the six-time Pro Bowler back in the lineup quickly will be a priority for a team that relies heavily on its running game.
The San Diego Chargers' offensive line just can't seem to get healthy, and it lost another body on Sunday when guard Orlando Franklin was carted to the locker room with a knee injury. Rapoport reports that Franklin "is believed to have injured (his) MCL" but will have an MRI Monday to determine the severity. An MCL sprain would probably keep Franklin out for at least a week and maybe a few, but it would be better than a torn ACL that would end his season. Either way, the Chargers aren't getting what they'd hoped for after signing Franklin for five years and $36.5 million in March.
Rams linebacker James Laurinaitis suffered a hyperextended elbow during Sunday's game against the Browns, according to Getlin, but he played through the injury and didn't miss a snap in the game. Getlin notes "there's optimism" that Laurinaitis will be able to keep playing through the injury while wearing a brace. That would be good news for a Rams defense that has already lost Alec Ogletree for a significant period but has really come together in recent weeks.
Jacksonville Jaguars guard Zane Beadles is dealing with plantar fasciitis on his left foot, according to Ryan O'Halloran of the Florida Times-Union. Beadles didn't miss a snap in Sunday's game against the Buffalo Bills, but plantar fasciitis is a painful injury that can linger and limit a player's effectiveness. That isn't good news for an offensive line that already lost its best player, guard Brandon Linder, to season-ending shoulder surgery. It helps that the Jaguars drafted A.J. Cann six months ago, but the third-round rookie has struggled in Linder's spot so far -- Pro Football Focus has graded him negatively in all four of his appearances -- and another injury or any time missed by Beadles would thrust another backup into the lineup. While rookie second-rounder T.J. Yeldon had his best game of the season on Sunday, it's possible that Jacksonville's line won't hold up moving forward.
Curious about the mysterious injury to Jets punter Ryan Quigley and the last-minute signing of Steve Weatherford? Dom Cosentino of NJ.com is reporting that Quigley is dealing with an infection on his shin after getting scratched on a blocked punt in Week 6 against the Washington Redskins. Quigley described the infection to Cosentino as "kind of like a freak thing" and expects to be fine, but it's unclear if he'll be ready to play this week when the Jets visit the Oakland Raiders. Weatherford had a rough day in emergency relief, averaging just 30.8 net yards on four punts. Still, Quigley hasn't been much better, with his net average of 32.5 yards barely edging Weatherford for last place among players with multiple punts this season. Perhaps the Jets should consider bringing in Spencer Lanning, who averaged 35.7 net yards per punt on three attempts in a one-game stint with the Chicago Bears earlier this season.